The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-06
TnE onIEr rxncUTIvE's OFFICE.

80
iusl the lesst possible upon the President
OF lhe Uniied States.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES OFFICE.
We revere the high Office. This Encanpment
aud our constituents would respond gladly 10 bis
call irthc country were assaulted or Ia danger APP
p!ausel bly, comrades, appeal 10 You knowing
you do the sentiments ANA feelings OF your com
radrs of the Grand Army Of the Republic, 10 pass
declare 10 him who has the veto power That Tue
Grand Array Of the Republic dsapproves oi these
Veioes; that they believe there ls a measure OF
ICES ice due the lniun soldier: that they believe
That soldiers should Dee taken from the alnsbouscs;
that they believe that they not asking too much
of the United States Government. show them 10y
your action that we propose 40 stand shoulder TO
shoulder upon these vital questions which abect ns
and reach every Scared aud manned Union soldier
ia AL the broad land. aud your acion VIII bring a
thrlil Of ior To Tie thousands az Grand Army COM
ralcs who are Interested la this question i move
the adoption OF the resolution.
GEN. C. II. GRosvENoR,
OF Ohio, said:
CoaMANnER IN -CHIrF AND COMRADES OF THE
GRAND ARMY or TuE RErCBLIc: do not believe
that among the Grand Army men OF the United
States need 10 apologize for my opinion. have
a- much feeling upon tlis pension question ana
the attitude of Congress toward It, aud the position
assumed 10y the Executive Department n my als-
iingni~hed cnmmde from Nebraska or any oiher
living man. but 4 stand here today AS the repre-
sentative Ia "A small way al least 81 body al men
greater than the President of the Uulicd Sisdes,
greater than the Congress Of the United Staics,
more dignIfied in their uiterancos certainly than
,hc President has shown himself To be. Hnd we
stand here at this moment of time to decide thai
which j.. in nay Judgment, the most important
looklne 10 the future 81 the Grand Army oi The ite-
public looking TO the question 81 its iulu re power
looking 10 The question Of IT. ultimate character.
of ANY question that haa ever been submitted M a
National Encampment. j meet this question, mol
exponent Of the precise sentiment thai ieel
"a; this time The question Is Nhni ought we 10
do? Shall we. body. Ia Tins year lcSl, only
one year before a Presidential election when al
A. alp candidates. Of The great DBtitlci
parties il already understood, shall we pat our
selves into the altitude 81 arguing questions Of pen
sion Legislation with him and building platforms
for him 10 ran upon or assall. or shall the Grand
Army stand here in this National Congress utter
ing its opinions upon this question, aud uilerlng
them a. though there had never been President
of the United States; uttering them standing as
/ The mountain stands upon tie plain regardless
of the coyotes at the foot Of IL. proclaiming in
majestic words and Ia our majesty that we
in favor OF this pension legislation and
not opposed 20 every attack npOn the Interest
4 "a dcniied advocacy of these great principles.
1 or shat we gel down into The cessDOul OF political
agation aud detraciion of candidates aud political
abHse? II we have AIRY power u IL that we stand
/ together. ] ask my comrades here u we can ex-
ped that the comrades Of tins Grand Army assem-
| hled here to be called upou although members
of The political party 10 which the President al this
time belongs If they are 60 be called upon here aud
now 10 register dcnuncialion of the President oi
tlie United SllItesg When was il ever done before ?
When in all the history OF the Grand Army was Il
| ever attempted beforeg We have had other Presi-
/ dents of the United States. We differed very MAJ
4 terally with Gen Grant upon one famols occasion,
bat never heard that the Grand Army OF the Re
4 public undertook TO denounce him. We simply
said we were Ia favor OF that proposed legislation,
aud are ia favor OF IL now. l. II not better that
| we should go 80 the country and simply announce
4 that we are in favor Of and hold up our banner
] unsianed and uniarnished? III there are enemies
/ of the Grand Army OF the Republic who desire ITS
dissolution. those enemies could not have better
occasion aud a more gratifying opportunity TO
bring about the result which they seek Than II we
should here and now array ourselves Ia personal
artasonism TO the President of the United States
! The eyes Of the country are turned in the direc-
tion Of Sl. Louis. Everywhere The question Is upon
1 the minds of the people, Will the Grand Army 81
The Republic assembled ia ~. Louis. De dignihed
/ aud uphold It's principles without degenerailnp
into political squabbleg COMMANDMENT Chief
1 no stronger position can he taken by the Grand
Army uf the Republic than TO support the action q
this Pension Committee. Are towards and
dogsG Is Hannibal liamlin, OF Maine. coward
aud dogg L. IL possible that the courage OF the
| Grand Army Of the Republic Is singled down Il
| one oOnrade heres ] hope Ina the future Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic that we may escliev
this personal controversy, and planting oCr ban
ners upon our walls stand by them until the end O
time, regardless of everybody and anybody tina
gets Ia our way.
Comrade Mcdonnell of Indiana, made an argu
ment against the resolutions from Democrats
standpoint aud tried 20 demonstrate that th'
President was a better friend of the soldier
, than any Of his predecessors had been.
The report Of the Committee on Resolution
was adopted. and the resolution defeated.
THE DEBATE ON PENSIONS.
The Chair announced that il had been decided
90 allow one hour for the discussion of the re
port of the Committee on Pensions, the tim
to be equally divided between the advocates o
the Dependent Pension Bill and the Serviel
Pension. Comrade Merrill would have charg
OF the debate on the side of those who SUPPORTS
the Dependent Pension Bill, aud Conrad
/ Marx Of Mugs.gltuaaffg xsranlI ,nnnfrol fiji
time for the advocates of a service pension.
After some little talk this arrangement wa
agreed 10. and Comrade Macy opened for thos
: who favored service pensions. lie began b
repudiating the abuse which some partisans G
service pensions hcapod upon ali those VIII
, differed from them. lie deeply regretted tina
anything Of this kind should have been f0un
necessary in the carrying on of the discussion
! The majority Of those who favored the seryic
i pensions should not be held responsible for ia
+ acts of a few. For himself he believed tina
] the comrades opposed to service pensions weT
sincere and earnest, aud believed they wer
working for the best interests Of the veteran
S lie especially repudiated a sheet pretending {
be published in the interest OF service pension
h and more than 1000 Of which had been sea-
a tered through the hall among the delegate
= lie wished that ii had been swept out of e,
! isience. He then proceeded 10 urge the serviC
y pension scheme, putting all the wcil-know
Il arguments in favor Of IL with unusual eleal
e ness and force lie occupied l3 minutes, an
!, closed 10y saying that he did not expect u
e next Congress 10 pass the Service Pension Bal
Ia but he was firmly Of the opinion that it va
, wise 10 begin the agitation in earnest now.
u COmrade Geo. 5. Merrill rose 10 open the d
: bate in favor OF the Dependent Pension 1911
a lie spoke Of the ardnous labors Of the NatiOni
x Pension Committee for the past five years.
,, bOrs which had been performed at great pc
: sonal Inconvenience 20 every member Of n
" committee. and which had been sincere an
= earnest and unselish as any work ever pc
b. formed by any men in the world. Yet ia
bad brought upon them a deluge Of abuse ~
r. calumny from men who pretended 90 be freni
IA OF the veterans. This was the reward tn
IL came for doing honestly and earnestly all tn
Ct lay in their power for their comrades.
~ lie proceeded 70 say that in the five years q
- members Of the committee bad served they hi
,e ceriainly gained some knowledge OF the temp
ie Of Congress and Of the people. lie had no he
cs tatiOn in saying that the agitation of the ser
- ice pension scheme had retarded pension legi
~ lation at least 10 years by alarming the Peep
al of the country at the enormity Of the deman
u sf the soldiers. lie closed with a fine appt
90 for the adoption Of the Dependent Pensi'
~ Bill, which would bring immediate relief
"a those who needed IL most.
IA =. X. Peters, Of Kansas, was given four mi
Ga utes OF the service pension time. lie said ti
20 the Dependent Pension Bin did not stand
~, the way OF the service pension al all. If
a. stood in the way Of a single man getting pc
Nv sion he would not favor il. But the first thi
ng that the coming session Of Congress would
of would be 20 DISPOSE of The DeDendent peusi